Dual front wheel mounting



Jufly L, 194 E. v. GARNETT ET AL DUAL FRONT WHEEL MOUNTING Filed Jan.15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l VE TO VACTOR G. /IRD YET EBWARD v GAR July 1,194 E. v GARNETT ET AL 224K437 DUAL FRONT WHEEL MOUNTING Filed Jan. 15,1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I111 nu.

Patented July 1, 1941 DUAL FRONT WHEEL MOUNTING Edward V. Garnett andVactor G. Garnett, Denver, Colo.

Application January 15, 1940, Serial No. 313,808

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a dual wheel mounting for trucks, busses andother heavy vehicles and more particularly to a mounting for dual frontwheels. In the usual dual wheeled vehicle, the two wheels are mounted onan axle stub extending outwardly from the steering spindle of the truck.This places the entire load to one side of both wheels creating acantilever effect which places great bending stresses in the axle andresults in binding or cramping the steering spindle making steeringdifiicult, It also places the road impact-s of both wheels on the sameside of the axis of the steering spindle so that they are transmitted toand must be absorbed by the tie rods and steering mechanism resulting inrapid depreciation of the latter.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a dual wheelmounting which will avoid all of the above objectionable features bysimply placing the wheels on opposite sides of the axis of the steeringspindle so that the load will be balanced between the dual wheels and sothat all impacts or road resistances will be counterbalanced by theopposed wheels to relieve the steering mechanism of all unbalancedreactions.

Heretofore, it has been impossible to provide a rigid mounting of thistype due to the fact that the placement of the springs required arelatively wide separation of the'dual wheels and in order to evenlydistribute the load between them, tilting axles must be resorted to.Such axles introduced looseness and wear and resultant shimmy which madethe high speeds of modern heavy vehicles impossible. Another object ofthis invention is to remove all springs from between the wheels sothat-the latter can be placed sufficiently close together to effectivelyemploy a rigid axle construction and still obtain a substantiallyuniform wheel loading and yet provide a spring support which will notinterfere in any way with the full use of the deck space of the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the in vention reference is.had to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Likenumerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughoutthe description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the forward portion of a truck or bus chassisillustrating the improved wheel suspension in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig, 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig.2. i

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the forward portion of a truck chassisillustrating an alternate form of the suspension thereon.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the alternate form, taken onthe line 55, Fig. 4, with the near dual wheels removed.

In the drawings, the longitudinal beam members of a typical vehiclechassis, such as a bus or truck, are indicated at II].

To apply the improved wheel mounting, a pair of laterally extending,preferably tubular, beams I I are positioned beneath the chassis membersIll and extend outward beyond both sides thereof. An arcuate arch beamI2 is secured to and extends upward between the projecting ends of thebeams II. The arch beams may be of any desired construction. Hollow,welded beam structures, such as illustrated, have been found to besatisfactory. The lower extremities of the arch beams terminate in hooksI3 in which the lateral beams I I rest and are secured by means of suitable bolts or welds.

A pivot guide sleeve I4 extends vertically down ward from the apex ofeach arch beam to receive a wheel post I5. The lower extremities of thewheel posts I5 are T-shaped, that is, a rigid axle member extendsoppositely outward from each side thereof to support the members of apair of dual wheels I6, A steering arm I! extendingforwardly therefromguides the wheels I6.

The posts I5 extend upwardly through the arch beams I2 and terminate insuitable thrust bearings I8 which transmit the pressure of theposts to aspring plate I9. A spring enclosing sleeve 2!] surrounds the springplate I9 and encloses a suitable compression spring 2|. The spring 2| iscompressed between the spring plate I9 and a cap 22 on the spring sleeve20.

It can readily be seen that the load on the chassis is cushioned by thesprings 2| and that this entire load is concentrated at a point midwaybetween the dual wheels I6. If the spring suspension were placed betweenthe two wheels I6, it would necessitate spreading these wheels apartsufliciently to clear the spring structure. This would place the wheelsso far part that one of the wheels would carry more weight than theother on crowned or irregular roads, and would 1 result in strains andstresses in the wheels, the steering posts, and the steering mechanism.By placing the springs above the wheels, however, the latter can bebrought so close together that any irregularities in the road will beabsorbed by the tires and by the natural resiliency of the metalstructure without producing damaging strains or stresses.

It will also .be noted that there is nointerference with the load spaceon the chassis since there are no members extending across the latterabove the floor. high to allow ample vertical movement of the wheelswithout interference.

In Figs. 4 and 5, an alternate formof con.

s-truction having the same advantages is illustrated. In this form twoarch beams 23 are employed which are welded or otherwisesecured to theextremities of laterally extending tubes 24.

A guide tube 25 extends vertically downward from the apex of each of thearch beams to receive a steering post 26. The steering posts 26 rideagainst thrust'bearings 21 in the tubes. The lower extremity of eachpost is, provided with oppositelyextending axle studs on each of which adual wheel 28 is journalled. .A steering arm. 29 extends forwardlyfromeach post to which a steering tie rod20 and the steering mechanismis connected.

Thev laterallyextending tubes. in this form are cushioned at each sideof the chassis upon a pair of leaf springs 31. Each of the tubes 24 issecured to the mid portion of its springs 3| by means of: suitableclamps32. One extremity of each spring is pivotally mounted on a fixed springbracket= 33- on the chassis H3. 'The other extremity of each spring issuspended from the chassis in hinged spring shackles 34.

Mean be readily seen that downward movementof: the chassis isresiliently transmitted to the tubes by the springs3l and is transmittedfrom the tubes through the arch beams 23,- the thrust bearings 21, andthe steering posts 26 to. the wheels 28.

*Thisform'has all of the advantages of the previously. described formbut eliminates the necessity of placing the springs on the arch beamsand employs leaf springs below the chassis in their stead.

-While-a specific form of the improvement has been-described andillustrated herein, it is desiredf to' be understood that the same maybe varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit'of" the invention.

Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

lyMeans for mounting steerable dual wheels on=a truck chassiscomprising: a pair of parallel beams extending laterally of said chassisand projecting therebeyond at each side thereof; an upwardlyarched beamat each side of said chassis secured between the projecting lateralbeams; a guide sleeve extending vertically downward from the-apex ofeach arch beam; a steering post rotatably mounted in each guide sleeve;axle studsextending oppositely outward from each side ofsaid steeringposts; wheels mounted on said axlev studs; and means for. rotating saidsteering postsin said; guide sleeves.

2.-Means for mounting steerable dual wheels on'ammk chassis comprising:a pair of parallel beams extending laterally of said chassis andprojecting therebeyond at each side thereof; an upwardly arched beam ateach side of said chassis The arch beams are sufiicientlysecured betweenthe projecting lateral beams; a guide sleeve extending verticallydownward from the apex of each arch beam; a steering post rotatablymounted in each guide sleeve; axle studs extending oppositely outwardfrom each side of said steering posts; wheels mounted on said axlestuds; means for rotating said steering posts in said guide sleeves; andspring means positioned in the loadpath between-said chassisand saidsteering posts.

3. Means for mounting steerable dual wheels on a truck chassiscomprising: a pair of parallel beams extending laterally of said chassisand. projecting therebeyond at each side thereof; an upwardly archedbeam at each side of said chassis secured between the projecting lateralbeams; a guide sleeve extending vertically downward from. the apex ofeach arch beam; a steering post rotatably mounted in each guide sleeve;axle studs extending oppositely outward from each side of said steeringposts; wheels mounted on said axle studs; means for rotating saidsteering posts in saidguide sleeves; andsp'ring means positioned betweensaid lateral beams and said chassis.

4. .A steerable dual wheel mounting for =vehicles comp-rising a pair'o-f'parallel laterally extending beams; an arch beam secured betweenthe extremities of the lateral beams at each extremity thereof; :a:guide sleeve extending downwardfrom the apexof each arch beam a steering post rotatably mounted in each guide sleeve; wheel axles "extendingoppositely outward from each side of each steeringi post; and a wheelmounted on each wheel axle so that each of said steering'po'sts willextend :downw'ardly between a pair of said wheels. I

' 5. A. steerable dual'wheelemounting .for vehicles comprising: a pairof" parallel laterally extending beams; an arch vbeam secured betweenthe extremities of the lateral beams at each extremity thereof; a guidesleeve extending downward from the apex of each arch beamyr a steeringpostrotatably mounted, in each guide sleeve; wheel axles extendingoppositely outward from each side of each steering. post: a. wheelmounted on each wheel axle so'that' each' of said steering posts willextenddownwardly between a pair of said wheels; and springmeans actingtocushion the downward-movementof said arch'beams on said steeringposts.

6. A steerable dual wheel mounting for vehicles comprising? a pairofparallellaterally extending beams;'an arch beam secured between theextremities of the lateral beams at-each extremity thereof; a guidesleeve extendingdownward'from the apex of each arch beam; a steer-ingpost rotatably mounted in eachguide sleeve; wheel axles extendingoppositely outward from each side of each steering post;a wheel mountedon each wheel axle-so that'each of" said steering posts will extenddownwardly between aypair'of said wheels; a springsupporting member on,each arch beam; and a spring in each supporting member, said steeringposts extending'upwardly through said arch beams to support saidsprings.

7. A dual Wheel mounting for vehicles com prising: a pair ofoppositelyextending. axle studs; a Wheel mounted on each stud; a postextending upwardly from said studs betweensaid wheels; a guide sleevesurrounding said post; a longitudinally extending beamsecured to eachguide sleeve and extending longitudinally of said vehicle; a pair oflateralbeams'extending. across said vehicle between the extremities ofthe longitudinal beams; and spring means supporting said vehicle fromeach of said lateral beams.

8. A dual wheel mounting for vehicles comprising: a pair of oppositelyextending axle studs; a wheel mounted on each stud; a post extendingupwardly from said studs between said wheels; a guide sleeve surroundingsaid post; a longitudinally extending beam secured to each guide sleeveand extending longitudinally of said vehicle; a pair of lateral beamsextending across said vehicle between the extremities of thelongitudinal beams; means for securing said lateral beams to saidvehicle; a spring holder above each of said longitudinally extendingbeams, said posts extending upwardly through said beams into said springholder; and a compression spring cushioning the upward movement of saidposts.

9. Means for mounting steerable dual wheels on a truck chassiscomprising: a pair of supporting members projecting outwardly at eachside of said chassis; an arched beam extending between the projectingmembers at each side of said chassis; a telescoping member extendingvertically downward from said arched beam, the lower portion of saidtelescoping member being rotatable with reference to the upper portionthereof; a wheel rotatably mounted on each side of the lower portion ofeach telescoping member; and means for rotating said lower portion forsteering purposes.

10;Means for mounting steerable dual wheels on a truck chassiscomprising: a pair of supporting members projecting outwardly at eachside of said chassis; an arched beam extending between the projectingmembers at each side of said chassis; a telescoping member extendingvertically downward from said arched beam; and a wheel rotatably mountedon each side of the lower portion of each telescoping member.

llgMeans for mounting steerable dual wheels on a truck chassiscomprising: a pair of supporting members projecting outwardly at eachside o1 said chassis; an arched beam extending between the projectingmembers at each side of said chassis; a, telescoping member extendingvertically downward from said arched beam; a

